Families like Ours

Last updated
Families like Ours
Danish Familier som vores
Written by
Directed byThomas Vinterberg
Starring
ComposerValentin Hadjadj
Country of origin
  • Denmark
  • France
  • Sweden
  • Czech Republic
  • Belgium
  • Norway
  • Germany
Original languages
  • Danish
  • English
  • French
  • Polish
  • Russian
  • Romanian
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes7
Production
Executive producers
  • Anna Marsh
  • Ron Halpern
  • Jennifer Green
  • Katrine Vogelsang
  • Olivier Bibas
  • Morgane Perrolier
  • Louise Gigon
  • Elisabeth Tangen
  • Johanna Lind
  • Claudia Grässel
  • Sebastian Lückel
  • Christoph Pellander
Producers
Cinematography Sturla Brandth Grøvlen
Editors
  • Anne Østerud
  • Janus Billeskov Jansen
Production companies
Original release
Network TV 2

Families like Ours (Danish : Familier som vores) is a 2024 drama television miniseries written and directed by Thomas Vinterberg. It premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on 31 August 2024 and will begin airing on TV 2 on 20 October 2024.

Contents

Premise

Due to rising sea levels, Laura and her family must navigate a nationwide evacuation of their native Denmark.

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDurationOriginal air date
1TBATBA20 October 2024 (2024-10-20)
2TBATBATBA
3TBATBATBA
4TBATBATBA
5TBATBATBA
6TBATBATBA
7TBATBATBA

Production

Thomas Vinterberg conceived the idea for the series in 2017 while working abroad in Paris. [1] [2] He took inspiration from the 2015 film Brooklyn when writing the series, and further stated:

I was less interested in the politics of it. I wasn’t interested in making sort of a 'climate-warning' series. It's going to be called that in places, I'm sure, but I'm hoping not too often, because this is more about human resilience, about how humans can create coping strategies when there's a crisis and when they're being separated from what they love.

Thomas Vinterberg [3]

Because he wrote the series before the COVID-19 pandemic, Vinterberg and co-writer Bo Hr. Hansen made some changes to the script so as not to mirror the pandemic too closely. The series originally took place in Kyiv before it was changed. [4]

The series was announced in August 2020 [5] [6] and the cast was announced in October 2022. [7] Filming took place in Denmark, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Romania, and France over the course of a year. The production employed over 40 actors and 2,500 extras. [8] [9]

Release

Promotional stills from the series were released on 4 December 2023. [10] A teaser trailer for the series was released on 28 August 2024. [11] [12]

The series premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on 31 August 2024. [13] Because of Venice's own flooding concerns, Vinterberg stated, "Even in my first letter to Alberto [Barbera], I said there was no other place we can show this than in Venice." [14] The series will begin airing on TV 2 on 20 October 2024. [15] The series received a four-minute standing ovation at the festival. [16]

Reception

Stephanie Bunbury of Deadline called the series "grimly prophetic" and wrote that it "tackles [a] subject that is perhaps too huge for the confines of a TV drama". [17] Jan Lumholdt of Cineuropa commended Vinterberg's direction and the cast's performances. [18]

Niels Jakob Kyhl Jørgensen of Filmmagasinet Ekko  [ da ] gave the series five out of six stars, writing, "Families Like Ours is both a tribute and a loving eulogy to the Danes — and the most riveting social story in years." [19] Jacob Ludvigsen of Soundvenue  [ da ] gave the series three out of six stars, writing that the series' "brilliant premise drowns in Thomas Vinterberg's wildly ambitious TV 2 series". [20]

Serena Seghedoni of Loud and Clear Reviews gave the series five stars and wrote, "Families Like Ours (Familier Som Vores)'s brilliant premise is exactly what it takes for Europe to understand the refugee crisis, in a marvel of a series that brims with humanity and puts its characters first." She also called it "the kind of series you don’t want to end". [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Vinterberg</span> Danish film director

Thomas Vinterberg is a Danish film director who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking, which established rules for simplifying movie production. He is best known for the films The Celebration (1998), Submarino (2010), The Hunt (2012), Far from the Madding Crowd (2015), and Another Round (2020). For Another Round he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, the first Danish filmmaker nominated in the Best Director category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of Denmark</span>

Denmark has been producing films since 1897 and since the 1980s has maintained a steady stream of product due largely to funding by the state-supported Danish Film Institute. Historically, Danish films have been noted for their realism, religious and moral themes, sexual frankness and technical innovation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikolaj Coster-Waldau</span> Danish actor (born 1970)

Nikolaj William Coster-Waldau is a Danish actor. He graduated from the Danish National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen in 1993, and had his breakthrough role in Denmark with the film Nightwatch (1994). He played Jaime Lannister in the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones, for which he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mads Mikkelsen</span> Danish actor (born 1965)

Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen is a Danish actor, former gymnast and dancer. He rose to fame in Denmark as an actor for his roles such as Tonny in the first two films of the Pusher film trilogy, Detective Sergeant Allan Fischer in the television series Rejseholdet (2000–2004), Niels in Open Hearts (2002), Svend in The Green Butchers (2003), Ivan in Adam's Apples (2005) and Jacob Petersen in After the Wedding (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paprika Steen</span> Danish actress

Kirstine "Paprika" Steen is a Danish actress and director best known for her performances in Dogme 95 films Festen, The Idiots, Mifune, and Open Hearts. Steen was the first Danish actress since Karin Nellemose to win both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in the same year at the Robert Festival, the Danish equivalent of the Oscars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nimbus Film</span> Danish film production company

Nimbus Film is Denmark's third largest film production company.

The Bodil Award for Best Danish Film is one of the categories for the Bodil Awards presented annually by the Danish Film Critics Association. It was created in 1948 and is one of the oldest film prizes in Europe. The jury can decide not to give out the award if no deserving films are submitted. This has occurred once, in 1974. More than one film also can receive the award in a single year, as occurred in 1955.

Thomas Bo Larsen is a Danish film actor, born in Gladsaxe, Denmark.

<i>Submarino</i> 2010 film

Submarino is a 2010 Danish drama film directed by Thomas Vinterberg, starring Jakob Cedergren and Peter Plaugborg. It is based on the 2007 novel Submarino by Jonas T. Bengtsson, and focuses on two brothers on the bottom of Danish society, with lives marked by violence and drug addiction. The film was produced by Nimbus Film. As a condition from the financier TV 2, half of the cast and crew were novices, which the director enjoyed as it gave an experience similar to his earliest films.

The Robert Award for Best Danish Film is presented at an annual Robert Award ceremony by the Danish Film Academy

The Bodil Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the merit categories presented by the Danish Film Critics Association at the annual Bodil Awards. Created in 1948, it is one of the oldest film awards in Europe, and it honours the best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a Danish produced film. The jury can decide not to hand out the award, which happened numerous times between 1950 and 1985. Since 1986 it has been awarded every year.

The Bodil Award for Best Screenplay is a film award established in 2015 by the Danish Film Critics Association in collaboration with the Danish Writers Guild for the best screenplay that was handed out for the first time as an external award at the 68th Bodil Awards-ceremony.

The Robert Award for Best Screenplay is one of the merit awards presented by the Danish Film Academy at the annual Robert Awards ceremony. The award has been handed out since 1984, but except in 1991 and 1993. On two occasions, in 2005 and in 2015, the Academy handed out two awards in the category, one for best original screenplay, and one for best adapted screenplay.

<i>Another Round</i> 2020 film by Thomas Vinterberg

Another Round is a 2020 black comedy-drama film directed by Thomas Vinterberg, from a screenplay by Vinterberg and Tobias Lindholm. An international co-production between Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands, the film stars Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, and Lars Ranthe. It follows four high school teachers who embark on an experiment to maintain a constant level of intoxication throughout the workday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnus Millang</span> Danish screenwriter, actor, comedian and film director

Magnus Millang is a Danish screenwriter, actor, comedian and film director. He appeared in Danish TV shows such as Brian Mørk Show, Mørk og Jul, Silat Ninjaen, den2.side andZulu Gumball. In Dark & Christmas, Millang is best known for his activist character, Basher Henrik, a character who in 2008 had a great life on YouTube.

Kasper Torsting is a Danish film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. He is best known for his early works as a cinematographer and director on the documentaries Rocket Brothers, Solo, and the cinema-portrait of fellow Danish director, Oscar winner Thomas Vinterberg and David Bowie.

<i>Beware of Children</i> (film) 2019 Norwegian drama film

Beware of Children is a 2019 Norwegian drama film, written and directed by Dag Johan Haugerud.

<i>The Promised Land</i> (2023 film) Film by Nikolaj Arcel

The Promised Land is a 2023 epic historical drama film directed by Nikolaj Arcel and written by Arcel and Anders Thomas Jensen. Based on the 2020 book The Captain and Ann Barbara by Ida Jessen, the film is a joint Danish-German-Swedish co-production starring Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin and Simon Bennebjerg, and with Kristine Kujath Thorp, Gustav Lindh, Jakob Lohmann, Morten Hee Andersen, Magnus Krepper and Felix Kramer in supporting roles.

<i>Finalement</i> 2024 French film by Claude Lalouch

Finalement (transl. Finally) is a 2024 French comedy drama film directed by Claude Lelouch. It premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on 2 September 2024 and will receive a theatrical release in France on 13 November 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vic Carmen Sonne</span> Danish actress (born 1994)

Victoria "Vic" Carmen Sonne is a Danish actress. She is best known for her roles in the films Winter Brothers (2017), Holiday (2018), and Godland (2022). She has won two Bodil Awards and one Robert Award.

References

  1. Lumholdt, Jan (3 September 2024). "Thomas Vinterberg • Director of Families Like Ours". Cineuropa. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  2. Almbjerg, Sarah Iben (3 September 2024). "»Hvor stærke er vi?« tænkte Thomas Vinterberg. Nu står han midt i en drømmemodtagelse i Venedig". Berlingske (in Danish).
  3. Wise, Damon (31 August 2024). "'Families Like Ours' Director Thomas Vinterberg On His Apocalyptic Series: "I Started Thinking, What Would Happen If We Became The Refugees?"". Deadline . Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  4. Lattanzio, Ryan (17 September 2024). "Thomas Vinterberg on His First TV Series and His Friendship with Lars von Trier: 'We Have Some Fights Occasionally'". IndieWire . Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  5. Pham, Annika (13 August 2020). "Thomas Vinterberg to direct first TV series Families Like Ours". Nordisk Film & TV Fond . Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  6. Dannemand, Henrik (14 August 2020). "Thomas Vinterberg står bag dansk TV-serie om familier i opbrud". Berlingske (in Danish). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  7. Ritman, Alex (3 October 2022). "'Another Round' Director Thomas Vinterberg's Debut TV Drama 'Families Like Ours' Sets Cast as Production Starts". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  8. Hopewell, John; Keslassy, Elsa (5 April 2024). "'Another Round' Director Thomas Vinterberg on How His First Series, 'Families Like Ours,' Tells a Tale of Love, 'Resilience and Hope' Despite National Catastrophe (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  9. Kaage, Gustav (4 December 2023). "Första bilderna från Thomas Vinterbergs nya dramaserie Families Like Ours". Film i Väst (in Swedish). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  10. Rømer, Louise (4 December 2023). "Se de første glimt fra Thomas Vinterbergs nye tv-serie". Billed Bladet (in Danish). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  11. Goodfellow, Melanie (28 August 2024). "'Families Like Ours' Teaser: Thomas Vinterberg's Venice Series Imagines A Denmark On The Cusp Of Disappearing Due To Climate Change". Deadline . Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  12. Bergeson, Samantha (28 August 2024). "'Families Like Ours' Teaser: Thomas Vinterberg's Coming-of-Age Story Is Set Amid Climate Change Disaster". IndieWire . Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  13. Aricò, Giacomo (2 August 2024). "Festival di Venezia 2024, si comincia: il programma con film, date e le star più attese". Vogue Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  14. Ritman, Alex (31 August 2024). "Thomas Vinterberg Says Venice's Own Flooding Concerns Made It 'Obvious Choice' for Launch of Climate Change Miniseries 'Families Likes Ours'". Variety . Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  15. Granberg, Signe Bjørg (28 August 2024). "Thomas Vinterbergs nye serie 'Familier som vores': Som et lyn fra en klar himmel bliver alt revet fra hinanden". Femina (in Danish). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  16. Danielsen Gille, Anna (1 September 2024). "Vinterbergs første tv-serie fik premiere på filmfestival i Venedig til stående applaus". DR (in Danish). Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  17. Bunbury, Stephanie (31 August 2024). "'Families Like Ours' Review: Thomas Vinterberg's Grimly Prophetic Series Tackles Subject That Is Perhaps Too Huge For The Confines Of A TV Drama – Venice Film Festival". Deadline . Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  18. Lumholdt, Jan (2 September 2024). "Series review: Families Like Ours". Cineuropa . Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  19. Kyhl Jørgensen, Niels Jakob (31 August 2024). "Familier som vores". Filmmagasinet Ekko (in Danish). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  20. Ludvigsen, Jacob (31 August 2024). "'Familier som vores': Den geniale præmis drukner i Thomas Vinterbergs vildt ambitiøse TV 2-serie". Soundvenue (in Danish). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  21. Seghedoni, Serena (13 September 2024). "Families Like Ours (Familier Som Vores) Review: Vinterberg Does It Again". Loud and Clear Reviews. Retrieved 18 September 2024.